I grew up in Clermont, playing at the lagoon and running around barefoot in the red dirt before we moved into Mackay.
I love working rurally because it’s the place I understand, the people are nice and everyone is genuine.
Since moving to Emerald I’ve well and truly become part of the community, playing netball and rugby league to keep myself busy.
Coming back to my roots for work was a dream come true, and I still love every minute of it.

ALISTER Clarke, from Frasers Livestock Transport in Gracemere, said there were plenty of options to improve road train access through Rockhampton and he said he was open to all of them.

After the announcement from the State Government that $10 million would be put into stage one of the Rockhampton Road Train Access Upgrade, Mr Clarke said the route chosen - which cuts through the Rockhampton CBD - was a bit puzzling.

"I just think that's a long way around to get there with all the lights and everything," Mr Clarke said.

"It would take a fair bit longer than the normal route."

Mr Clarke is the manager of Frasers Livestock Transport and he said the present route, while taking extra time doubling back to pick up the second trailer, was easier to drive through.

"I think the route that we use now, I know it's a traffic issue but you can get a road train in there," he said.

"It would be good if they could even have it from five in the afternoon until six in the morning, that's mainly the time that we come through anyway.

"If you load up in Clermont or Charters Towers in the morning you're not coming in until late to run them in."

He said he still held hope that the meatworks would be relocated to Gracemere - avoiding the need for upgrades at all.

"It might have been a cheaper option, but I don't know if that'd ever happen," he said.

"Just a few weeks ago, when the Prime Minister was here, we had meetings and all of that and spoke about funding different things and so other than that, we don't know too much more."